CCSA Leadership & Staff

Dr. Alyssa Avenatti serves as Executive Director of CCSA and has the great honor of conducting the Chorale ensemble. She earned her PhD from Indiana University’s world-renowned Jacobs School of Music and holds a Master of Music Education degree with a specialization in Kodály pedagogy, along with certifications in Smithsonian Folkways World Music Pedagogy and the Orff Schulwerk approach. She is also a 2022-23 graduate of the Holt Values-Based Leadership Fellows Program. Dr. Avenatti is passionate about building stronger communities through meaningful music experiences and expanding access so that all young people can experience the transformative power of music.

Before pursuing her doctorate, Dr. Avenatti was a founding member of the San Antonio Chamber Choir, performing with the ensemble for six seasons. She has presented academic research and practitioner workshops for music educators nationwide and has taught undergraduate and graduate students at Loyola University Maryland, Midwestern State University, Indiana University, and the University of Texas at San Antonio. She continues to support the music education community by mentoring young musicians and future educators at Texas State University.

Karla Cruz is a choral conductor, pianist, and music educator with more than 30 years of experience teaching and inspiring musicians throughout Texas. She earned her Bachelor of Music Education degree with an emphasis in piano from Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University).

Throughout her career, Karla has taught secondary choral music in Texas public schools, earning a reputation for musical excellence and a commitment to developing young singers. She currently serves as Choir Director at Wimberley United Methodist Church. She is also the accompanist for SOCO Women’s Chorus of Austin and is a member of the music faculty at St. Edward’s University, where she teaches piano and musicianship.

An active leader in the choral profession, Karla is a University Interscholastic League (UIL) concert and sight-reading adjudicator throughout Texas and has served as a clinician for regional honor choirs in both Texas and Louisiana. Her expertise as both a conductor and collaborative pianist has made her a respected mentor, educator, and adjudicator across the region.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, Karla enjoys sharing life and music with her husband, guitarist Mark Anthony Cruz. Together, they have two grown children, Katherine and Zak.

Penny Gabrielsen holds a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Education from Stephen F. Austin State University.

She began her teaching career as a middle school choir director in Spring Independent School District near Houston, where she spent eleven years inspiring young singers. During that time, she was a founding director of the Spring Elementary Honor Choir, which had the opportunity to perform at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention.

After moving to Dripping Springs, Penny joined St. Gabriel’s Catholic School in Austin, where she taught music to students from Pre-K through middle school for thirteen years and served as the Fine Arts Director of the school. She later served as Choir Director at Dripping Springs Middle School before relocating to Canyon Lake, where she became the Choir Director at Canyon Lake High School.

Throughout her career, Penny‘s choirs have consistently enjoyed success in all areas of performance, growth and musical experiences. Many of her students have received state recognition for excellence in both vocal and piano performance. She also enjoys serving as a performer, adjudicator, and clinician and is an active member of the Texas Choral Directors Association and the Texas Music Adjudicators Association.

Today, Penny is especially excited to co-direct the Hill Country Youth Chorus alongside her good friend of more than twenty years, Karla Cruz. Sharing a passion for music education and choral excellence, they look forward to creating meaningful musical experiences for young singers in the Hill Country.

Penny and her husband, Tom, who is also a choral director, have two sons, Erik and Evan; two daughters-in-law, Liz and Heather; and a delightful grandson, Finn. When she’s not making music, Penny enjoys traveling, spending time outdoors, and making lasting memories with her family.

Christi Brogan brings a creative eye and a passion for purposeful storytelling to her role as Marketing & Communications Coordinator for CCSA. With a background in nonprofit leadership and a heart for the arts, she works to highlight the voices and journeys of CCSA’s young performers—connecting families and audiences through thoughtful, engaging communication. She holds an Associate of Arts in Creative and Communication Arts from Northwest Vista College and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of General Studies at Texas Tech University. Before joining CCSA, she served as Assistant Executive Director at another nonprofit organization, where she developed a strong foundation in community outreach and organizational storytelling. Outside of her professional life, Christi is deeply involved in church youth ministry and is passionate about nurturing the next generation both in and out of the spotlight. She and her husband have been happily married for 30 years and are the proud parents of two teenage daughters. Through her work at CCSA, she strives to amplify the joy, harmony, and lifelong impact that music brings to young lives across the San Antonio metro area.

Karen Feazel has served as an accompanist for CCSA since 2017 and has thoroughly enjoyed working with such amazing directors and students. Karen has a BS in Music Education and a Master of Music Education with a Kodaly emphasis. She has been a music educator for almost 30 years, previously teaching elementary music, middle school and high school choirs, and private piano in Ohio before moving to Texas in 2015. Karen worked with SAISD for three years and currently is an elementary music specialist for Somerset Academy Oaks where she has enjoyed teaching since 2019. Karen is very involved with her church music ministry team and enjoys filling in as an accompanist for various schools, churches, and community choirs in the San Antonio area.

Leah Gransbery brings a passion for people, purpose, and community connection to her role as Development Director for CCSA. She leads fundraising and outreach efforts with a focus on building meaningful relationships that strengthen the organization’s mission and expand its impact throughout the San Antonio community. With extensive experience in nonprofit development and leadership, Leah has worked alongside donors, corporate partners, volunteers, and community leaders to grow programs and create sustainable sources of support. Throughout her career, she has launched successful fundraising initiatives, cultivated major gifts, expanded donor engagement, and increased program funding through strategic outreach and thoughtful stewardship. Her work is grounded in a belief that strong relationships are the foundation of lasting impact.

Leah holds an MBA from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of Maryland. Known for her collaborative spirit and results-driven approach, she is deeply committed to connecting people with causes that matter. At CCSA, Leah is honored to support the transformative power of music by engaging the community in ways that create opportunity, joy, and lasting change for young performers and their families.

Rebecca Lakes is the Head Chor Director at Eisenhower Middle School in North East ISD in San Antonio, TX. She previously taught elementary music for 23 years and served as the Lead Elementary Coordinator for NEISD for 8 years. Rebecca is the Vice President of the Organization of American Kodály Educators. She has presented workshops for school districts across the country and at state and national music education conferences. Rebecca earned her B.A. and B.M.E. from Cedarville University, an M.M. from Belmont University, and her Principal certification from Schreiner University. She is fully certified in both the Kodály and Orff approaches to music education In the summers, she instructs music teachers in Kodàly certification programs at Midwestern State University KMI program in Boston, MA.

Katie Meadow recently completed her 7th season working with CCSA’s Preparatory and Prelude Choirs under the direction of Rebecca Lakes. Katie first discovered a love for collaborative piano as a music performance student at the University of Puget Sound, where she served as an accompanist for the student choir, wind ensemble, and several vocal studios. Katie brings a background in composition to her work, and enjoys creating collaborative arrangements with Rebecca Lakes that showcase and support the development of the voices of CCSA’s youngest singers. Outside of her time with the Children’s Chorus, Katie also teaches private piano lessons at Jensen’s Yamaha Music School, serves as an accompanist and church musician at various local schools and congregations, and operates a small mental health therapy practice.

Gabriel Trevino is the Assistant Choir Director at Johnson High School in Northeast ISD in San Antonio, Texas. Previously he taught 5 years of High School Choir in McAllen, Texas. He just completed his first year with CCSA and he could not be happier to be part of the CCSA team! He holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from Texas Tech University, where he studied under the tutelage of Dr. Carolyn Cruse. As a performer, he is a proud member of Pasíon, The Rio Grande Valley’s Professional Chorus, whose goal is to give back to the RGV community and spread the joy of choral music.